Everything You Need to Know About Digital Comics

Comic book characters dominate America's pop culture scene, with movies such as Avengers and Iron Man 3 grossing more than a billion dollars each at the box office. Naturally, this will inspire people who have never read a comic book to check one out—but where to begin? Comic shops don't litter the landscape as they did in the 1990s, so we at PCMag suggest firing up a browser, smartphone, or tablet and diving into the thrilling, convenient world of digital comics.

What are Digital Comics? Digital comics are, well, electronic comic books. The term digital comics is a surprisingly broad umbrella that covers digital versions of print titles and original digital titles, such as Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Batman '66, respectively. If you're looking for Webcomics—comics published to Web sites, often for free—check out our Best Webcomics feature.

How do I Read Digital Comics?Tablets are the best way to read your favorite titles due to their comc book-like dimensions, but smartphones and Web browsers can do the job, too. Fortunately, there are many free and paid Android digital comic book readers and iPad digital comic book readers. Most are standalone apps that let you flip through the pages of your favorite DRM-free titles (more on that in a bit!), but a few like Comixology, Dark Horse, DC, and Marvel feature integrated stores that let you buy digital comics from anywhere your device can grab a wireless signal. Just don't do it in a comic book store while a manager is nearby. Trust me on that one. Trust me.

Note: Comixology's iOS app no longer lets you make in-app digital comic book purchases in order to avoid giving Apple a cut of profits. There is no such issue with the Comixology Android app.

2014 saw many comic book publishers make the move to DRM-free digital comics—DC and Marvel are the two big exceptions. The upside? You can read Saga in any digital comic book reader; you aren't locked into any particular app. Unfortunately, because those files lack DRM, you have to manually move your collection from device to device—it doesn't sync across devices. There are also desktop apps like ComicRack and Simple Comic that let you read digital comics on a desktop or laptop.

How's the Selection? If you're looking to get into a one-shot comic book, graphic novel, trade paperback, or series published in the last five years or so, there's a good chance you'll find most of what you seek in the digital space. Moving further back in time, however, can prove troublesome.

There are entire story arcs and creator runs that either aren't digitized at all, or have gaping holes wide enough to park Ego The Living Planet. For example, Comixology lacks the Secret Wars II limited series as I write this, but Marvel Unlimited (an all-you-can-read subscription service priced from $9.99 per month) has the set.

Is Buying Digital Comics Reliable? Digital comics go on sale on the same date as their paper counterparts. The digital move means never having to endure walking into a shop to discover that a highly anticipated book has sold out. In fact, a PCMag staffer who shall remain nameless is a bit heated that he could not find Star Wars #1 in stores. In that sense, digital comics are more reliable than print books. In addition, a book like Boom! Studios's Shaft even includes bonus material not found in the print version.

Still, that doesn't mean that digital is the perfect way to shop. For example, you won't find highly desired variant covers that are exclusive to comic book shops.

How Much Do Digital Comics Cost? Digital comics, for the most part, are priced the same as physical issues—at least for new issues. Most books from the larger houses fall within the $1.99 to $3.99 price range, which is on par with print comics' prices. For example, Comixology sells Casanova Vol 1: Luxeria for $10.99, which is the same price as the paperback version. Graphic novels and digitized trade paperbacks will, naturally, command more loot.

That said, digital collections sometimes cost less than their paper counterparts. Publisher Top Shelf sells the digital versions of its graphic novels for a few dollars less than their print counterparts. For example, Chester 5000-XYV costs $4.99 as a digital file, but $14.95 as a physical book. Marvel's print titles include codes for free digital comic downloads, so you can read Uncanny Avengers #1 in both the old- and new-school ways without shelling out additional cash.

Marvel also offers an all-you can read model: the aforementioned Marvel Unlimited. Pay a monthly fee and read as much Marvel as your eyeballs can take. The only catch is that you have to wait several months for new issues to show up. Still, it's a great way to get caught up on more than half-century's worth of back issues!

Why Do Digital Comics Cost the Same as Print Comics? You're probably wondering why (Marvel Unlimited and freebies aside) digital comics cost the same as print comics, considering the lack of paper and ink. That's an excellent question.

Publishers often have dedicated staff just for converting comics from print to digital. In the case of Image Comics specifically, the books need to support various formats, including PDF, ePub, CBR/CBZ, and Comixology's format, which requires file maintenance, tracking, and uploading to various digital comics marketplaces.

There's another reason digital comics cost the same as print: Publishers don't want to undercut themselves or the storekeepers whom they rely on for real-world distribution.

For the last decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications including 2D-X, E-Gear, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, PCMag, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He mentors, practices Jeet Kune Do, and speaks at the occasional Con. You can also find him online at jeffreylwilson.net.
Twitter: @jeffreylwilson
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